Who are we?

Seyhan İbrahim Yıldırım, born in 1980, is a legal professional and fintech entrepreneur from Northern Cyprus. He studied Business at Orpington College in the UK, later at Law with Business Studies at the Faculty of Law, Kingston University in the UK, and graduated with honors in Law in 2003. After becoming a lawyer, he founded his own law firm.

He later expanded into construction in 2006, finance in 2009, and fintech in 2019, establishing Papel Electronic Money and Payment Services Inc. and other ventures in Turkey, Azerbaijan, and the UAE. He currently serves as Legal Counsel to Northern Cyprus's President and Prime Minister and advises on EU and banking laws.

In 2025,  upon successful completion of the Fintech program, he earned a FinTech certificate from Harvard University. Fluent in Turkish, English, and German, he is also active in charitable work and legislative reform.

Ahmet Serkan Öksüz is an experienced attorney with extensive knowledge in law and financial services. After graduating from Ankara University Faculty of Law, he pursued further education at Anadolu University Faculty of Economics, embarking on a career that merges legal and economic perspectives. Currently, he serves as a lawyer at LBF Partners and contributes to strategic decision-making as a Board Member of Papel Elektronik Para ve Ödeme Hizmetleri A.Ş.

With experience gained from working at various law firms, Öksüz has developed the ability to provide solutions to a wide range of legal issues. Notably, he has distinguished himself through his legal consultancy roles in the payment services and electronic money sectors. Through advanced education at prestigious institutions such as Harvard Law School, he has cultivated expertise at an international level. His commitment to legal excellence and leadership continues to set him apart in the industry.

Ahmet Avar is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in the finance sector, distinguished by his strategic thinking and leadership skills. He began his career as Deputy General Manager at Kuzey Kıbrıs Turkcell, where he played a key role in developing and implementing financial strategies for many years. He later served as Finance Director at Turkcell Istanbul, successfully managing the financial operations of large-scale projects. Most recently, from 2020 to 2022, he returned to Kuzey Kıbrıs Turkcell as Deputy General Manager, making significant contributions to enhancing the company’s financial performance.

Academically, Avar graduated from the Business Administration program at Eastern Mediterranean University and furthered his financial expertise with a master’s degree in Banking from the International Cyprus University. His areas of expertise include budget management, financial analysis, and strategic planning. With his effective leadership and collaboration skills, Avar has consistently driven sustainable growth and operational excellence in the organizations he has worked with.

Ercüment Demir is a seasoned professional with over 17 years of experience in the card payment systems industry, specializing in fraud prevention and risk management. He began his career at Bileşim AŞ Fraud Investigation Unit, where he worked on detecting and preventing fraud attempts related to cards, POS systems, and internet banking for banks such as Ziraat Bank, Halkbank, Halkbank Macedonia, and Ziraat Bosnia. He also played key roles in Visa-Mastercard operations for Ziraat Bank and Halkbank.

At PayU, one of Turkey's first payment startups, Demir held various leadership roles, including Risk Operations Manager, Compliance Manager, Country Risk Manager, and finally Regional Manager for the EMEA Fraud Team. Following his six-year tenure at PayU, he served as the Risk and Fraud Manager at İninal for one year, where he successfully managed the transition to a corporate risk management system.

During his six-year career at PayTR, Demir initially worked as Head of Risk Management for three years. He then served as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) for another three years, implementing strategic projects to enhance the company’s operational efficiency.

Enes Aşık is a seasoned professional with over 17 years of experience in internal audit, compliance, and control processes. After graduating from the Industrial Engineering program at Marmara University, he deepened his academic knowledge by completing an MBA at Maltepe University. Holding Capital Markets Activities Level 3 and Derivatives licenses, Aşık began his career at Akbank, where he specialized in internal auditing for over a decade. He then successfully led key projects as Internal Control and Compliance Manager at Aköde for six years. Currently, he serves as the Internal Audit Director at Papel, where he takes on strategic responsibilities to strengthen the organization’s audit mechanisms.

His expertise includes regulatory compliance, optimizing audit processes, and risk management. Fluent in English, Aşık combines his analytical mindset with a solution-oriented approach, enabling him to build strong relationships with regulatory authorities and streamline internal processes within organizations. Thanks to his professional experience and competencies, he continues to be a reliable leader and strategic partner for financial institutions.

Ebru Güncan, who has nearly 10 years of experience in the finance sector, graduated from Kütahya Dumlupınar University with a degree in Business Administration with an emphasis on English, completing one semester of her undergraduate studies at Politechnica Opolska University in Poland. She began her career in the banking sector at Yapı Kredi Bank, and later worked at Arap Türk Bank and Nurol Investment Bank. Through her boutique and multicultural banking experience, she has gained extensive knowledge.

She reinforced the operational experience she acquired in the first line of defense in the banking sector with her compliance role in the second and third lines of defense within internal systems—maintaining contact with internal control when necessary. She has served as a MASAK Compliance Officer and has participated in MASAK and BRSA workshops as well as sectoral symposiums.

Ebru Güncan, who has received numerous trainings in both traditional finance and fintech, is competent in regulatory compliance, legal regulations, risk management, sanctions, the structuring of business processes, and the development of policies and procedures. By combining her experience in traditional finance with the trainings she has received in fintech, she continues to contribute to the sector.

Rıfat Kubilay Sancaklı is an experienced professional in international auditing and financial reporting. Starting his career as an Audit Intern at KPMG Turkey, Sancaklı developed core competencies in IFRS standards and financial analysis. During his tenure as Senior Auditor at Grant Thornton Turkey, he managed the preparation and auditing of financial statements for companies across various industries. Currently working as a Senior Audit Associate at PwC Turkey, Sancaklı specializes in cash flow statements, International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), and financial controls.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Master’s degree in International Trade and Money Management, both from Marmara University, and has a solid command of financial auditing and reporting processes.